


Waspblaze's End

by Cherryheart (LilDarkVixen)



Series: Mapleleaf's Fall [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Loss of Parent(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-26 17:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13862406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilDarkVixen/pseuds/Cherryheart
Summary: A short excerpt recalling the death of Waspblaze, the mother of one of my main OCs.





	Waspblaze's End

**Author's Note:**

> Character Descriptions (in order of appearance)
> 
> Thunderclan  
> Waspblaze - a pretty long-furred ginger tabby she-cat with white blotches; green eyes (deputy)   
> Larkclaw - a large, shaggy-furred brown and white tabby tom with copper eyes (warrior)  
> Maplepaw - a large brown and ginger tabby she-cat with white; yellow-amber eyes (medicine cat apprentice)  
> Wrenfeather - a small brown tabby tom  
> Vixenpaw - a dark ginger she-cat with green eyes 
> 
> Shadowclan  
> Snaketail - a lithe black tom with amber eyes

Waspblaze was at the head of the battle party heading towards Shadowclan’s territory. The frog-eaters had gotten bold the last few moons. Trespassing over the border, stealing prey - it made her sick. Her claws were already unsheathed waiting to sink them into a Shadowclan cat’s pelt. 

 

The party passed the border. She could feel the thrill of battle flowing through her and the other warriors. They’ll think twice about taking what belongs to Thunderclan after tonight. The cats were nearing camp when Waspblaze stopped. She could hear the pawsteps of another cat ahead. She signaled for the party to stop. A lone warrior appeared from the bushes and stopped, scenting the band of cats. He yowled and turned tail “Invaders nearing camp!” 

 

“Quick after him!” She ordered to the Thunderclan cats and they all raced beside her, storming through the pines. She could hear the pattering of paws coming towards them. “Battle formation Thunderclan! Now!”

 

The cats fanned beside her and met the Shadowclan cats with claws. She jumped on the back of a Shadowclan she-cat and let her claws rip through her fur. The she-cat kicked in a frenzy trying to remove Waspblaze from her. Finally she let her go, the other she-cat running off with her tail streaming out behind her.

 

She looked around at the fighting cats, Thunderclan had the advantage. Most of the Shadowclan cats looked as if they had came out of their nests. Their movements were slow and uncoordinated. That will teach you foxhearts. She spotted a Thunderclan apprentice pinned down by Snaketail, the Shadowclan deputy. She raced over towards them and bowled the warrior over. “Fight someone your own size mouseheart!” she spat. 

 

“Gladly.”

 

The tom leaped for her but she dodged his grasp and swung on her paws clawing at his pelt. Snaketail hissed from the pain. He jumped towards Waspblaze and she met his paws. The two deputies battered each other with their claws. Waspblaze finally managed to knock the other cat onto his back and towered over him. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to do that Snak-.” Her gloat caught in her throat as she felt the slice of the cat’s claws on her neck fur. 

 

She backed away from the Shadowclan tom who now wore a satisfied glare on his face. Waspblaze could feel the warmth of her own blood pooling below her muzzle. She collapsed feeling the world spin at her paws. Everything suddenly felt so far away. She could hear the yowl of her mate, Larkclaw , telling them to retreat. Even though he came to her side, his scream sounded like a whisper. “Waspblaze! Waspblaze can you hear me?!”

 

 

##

 

 

Maplepaw sat nervously in the center of camp. She and her mentor Wrenfeather sat together. Various herbs already lined up and ready to heal any hurt warriors when they returned. She ran through the uses of herbs in her mind. Dock for scratches, poppy for stress, cobwebs for bleeding and - . She was distracted from her thoughts when she could hear the clamoring of paws near the entrance. They’re back! Maplepaw got to her paws waiting for the band of cats to enter, yowling their victory. Her ears pinned to her head at the sight that met her gaze. 

 

Her mother’s body draped over her father’s back. Her body was still, unmoving. “M-mom...Mom!” She ran towards the cats as Larkclaw lay her body in the middle of camp. She pushed the warriors out of her way. “Move!” she hissed at the cats. Her father had moved now, his gaze focusing on Waspblaze. He blinked up at Maplepaw for a moment with sorrowful eyes. Maplepaw crept closer to her mother. “Waspblaze? Mom?” She noticed the blood oozing from the warrior’s neck. “Mom! Wrenfeather quick I need cobwebs!” She rushed to her mother, holding the she-cats head. Her head lolled uselessly in her paws. No she can’t be...I can fix this. I have to fix this! 

 

“Maplepaw, please.” Wrenfeather mewed by her side holding cobwebs in his jaws. She paid her mentor no mind and grabbed the cobwebs from him. She pressed the cobwebs to her mother’s wounds feebly. 

 

“Maplepaw, I...I don’t think that’s going to work.” Wrenfeather’s soft voice sounded behind her. “N-no it has to work, it has to work Wrenfeather!” Her paws were shaking trying to press the cobwebs into the oozing wound. “Waspblaze, please wake up. Please.” She pleaded aloud. 

 

“Didn’t you hear him, she’s gone Maplepaw. No thanks to you!” Maplepaw jerked back at her father’s harsh mew. “Larkclaw...” she whispered stunned as her father thrust his muzzle into his mate’s fur.

 

She could feel the pelts of her clanmates around her mewing condolences. They all seem to forget about their own injuries while looking down on their deputy’s cold body. Maplepaw’s looked down to her white paws, now stained red with Waspblaze’s blood. “No! Please, Starclan no!” she wailed collapsing. She vaguely felt the fur of one of her clanmates weave around her. She looked up meeting the green eyes of Vixenpaw. The dark ginger she-cat’s eye always sparkled with amusement but they were filled with sorrow now, as she lay on the earth beside her. “Maplepaw, I’m...I’m so sorry.”

 

 

##

 

 

She had stayed up the whole night, numb as she gave the warriors herbs. Soon she went to her father’s side and resting her head on her mother’s body. Many of the warriors from the battle stayed up as well. Vixenpaw laid by Maplepaw’s side with her tail gently wrapped around her own. 

 

She looked up, her eyes dry and raw from crying, as the elders stepped out and began to prepare the body. Maplepaw knew she should move to make it easier for the elders but she couldn’t make her paws work. The elders padded around her weaving, lavender into Waspblaze’s pelt. She stayed by her mother’s side through it all and through the naming of the new deputy that sounded by her. Larkclaw had been named to place her mother.

 

“Alright Maplepaw, it’s time.” the raspy mew of one of the elders met her ears. She looked up at them and at the two other elders. She dug her claws into the earth. “No, you can’t...please.”

 

“Maplepaw.” Her father’s harsh mew sounded behind her. “Listen to the elders.”

 

“No, I can’t leave her”

 

She heard the sigh of her father before feeling his sharp claws grab onto her fur, dragging her away from Waspblaze. Maplepaw wanted to fight but she was too tired. She watched as the last glimpse of her mother’s pelt disappeared through the brambles on the elder’s backs. Larkclaw finally released the grip on her fur. “Go to the medicine cat den, Wrenfeather wants to see you.”

 

Maplepaw padded over to the den she shared with her mentor on shaky paws. “Yes, Wrenfeather?” The medicine cat looked at her with soft eyes. “I’m so sorry about Waspblaze. You can take a break from your duties, alright? Take as long as you need. And here.” He pawed a few poppy seeds towards her. “Rest. You’ve been up since moonhigh.”

 

She bent her head stiffly and chewed on the seeds before going to her nest. 

 

 

##

 

 

Maplepaw tossed and turned before opening her eyes. She looked around at the tall grass surrounding her. Looking around she spotted a familiar pelt up ahead, now filled with stars. “Waspblaze...?” She rose to her paws and padded to her mother and small flicker of hope going off in her chest.

 

Waspblaze looked back at her coolly. “Maplepaw” she hissed “my only kit and my biggest disappointment.”

 

“What?” Maplepaw mewed back.

 

The she-cat turned to her. “You didn’t save me, you couldn’t have. You were to busy being an herb sorting coward. If you had trained as a warrior, you could’ve been with me. You could’ve helped me Maplepaw.” The glowing warrior looked away from her. “You’re no daughter of mine - you lost that role the day you told me you wanted to be a medicine cat.”

 

“M-mom...”

 

“Don’t call me that!” the warrior spat. “You mean nothing to me do you understand me, nothing.”

 

 

##

 

 

Maplepaw awoke with a start and looked up at Wrenfeather standing over her. “Are you alright, you were calling out in your sleep?” Maplepaw rose to her paws, “No! I’m not alright! My mother is dead  Wrenfeather and it’s all my fault.”

 

“Don’t be sil-” Maplepaw turned from her mentor and raced from the den and through the camp entrance. She knew the other cat’s sitting in camp were judging her, but she didn’t care. 

 

All that ran through her head was her mother’s words on repeat. I could’ve help her, I’ve could’ve helped her but I didn’t. I failed her, Waspblaze’s death is all my fault!


End file.
